Indeed, when it comes to unusual personas in WWE — a landscape that has been home to everything from giant dancing turkeys to worm-eating boogeymen — none has had the lasting power of The Bizarre One. His face painted black-and-gold with a wardrobe that includes silken blond wigs and the kind of feathered robes that would make Ric Flair blush, Goldust has personified peculiar for nearly two decades.

However, since returning to action at WWE Battleground, Goldust has revealed a new side of himself. Though he’s hardly cast aside his more erratic tendencies — just check out his Darth Maul-inspired “war paint” — there’s a new determination beneath the attention-grabbing accoutrements. In place of the flashy and unusual funnyman who captured the imagination of the WWE Universe is a seasoned veteran who can go hold-for-hold with the youngest Superstars on the roster.

It is perhaps this latest evolution of Goldust that is most similar to the man wearing the makeup, Dustin Rhodes. The son of celebrated WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, Dustin is a born fighter who places family above all else, never forgetting his allegiances not only to his iconic bloodline, but to himself.

Mere days after winning the WWE Tag Team Championships alongside his brother Cody, Dustin took WWE.com on a journey through his whirlwind career, delved into the controversial beginnings of his Goldust persona and revealed the secret to his most recent success.

WWE.COM: How did your dad feel about you entering the sports-entertainment business?

GOLDUST: Dad lived such a hectic, hard life on the road, and I didn’t get to spend as much time with him as I would have liked. Dad was around more for Cody when he was growing up. But I think he wanted something better for me because this business is very hard. It will eat you up and spit you out if you let it.